Abu Dhabi artificial intelligence company G42 has teamed up with technology giants OpenAI, Oracle and Nvidia to create a major AI hub in the emirate to accelerate local development of the technology.
Witnessed by President Sheikh Mohamed, the companies signed a strategic partnership to set up Stargate UAE, a 1-gigawatt computing cluster that will operate in the newly established 5GW UAE–US AI Campus, the Abu Dhabi Media Office reported.
The 1-gigawatt compute cluster, will also be built in co-operation with Cisco and Japan's SoftBank Group, and will operate in the recently established 5GW UAE–US AI Campus in the emirate, G42 said on Thursday.
Compute relates to the resources needed for AI systems to function, including training models, processing data, and making predictions and giving answers.
The launch of Stargate UAE is a “significant step” in the tech partnership between the UAE and the US, Peng Xiao, group chief executive of G42, said.
“This initiative is about building a bridge … that helps bring the benefits of AI to economies, societies, and people around the world,” he added.
Stargate UAE is the first major milestone in the OpenAI for Countries programme, chief executive Sam Altman said.
He and Nvidia boss Jensen Huang both described the project as a key part of the UAE's “bold vision” of using technology to boost the economy and contribute to the global stage.
Stargate is also the “first-in-the-world platform” that will enable “every UAE government agency and commercial institution to connect their data to the world’s most advanced AI models”, Oracle chairman and chief technology officer Larry Ellison said.
The deal caps a busy week for G42, which has struck major agreements locally and internationally.
At the Make it in the Emirates summit in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday, it announced a partnership with US-based World Wide Technology to help the UAE become an exporter of AI solutions.
On Tuesday, G42 teamed up with France's Mistral AI to develop advanced AI platforms and infrastructure, the second major deal between the UAE and France this week. On Monday, Abu Dhabi AI investment company MGX, AI chip leader Nvidia and French companies teamed up to build the largest AI campus in Europe.
G42 was this month also reported to be embarking on an expansion in the US and, before the arrival of US President Donald Trump to the UAE, the company signed an initial agreement with US technology company Cisco to explore AI infrastructure development across the public and private sectors.
The company is “central to Abu Dhabi's strategy to become a global AI leader, focusing on developing sovereign capabilities and fostering an innovation ecosystem”, Louis Napoletani, chief executive of Mottli, told The National.
